Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11
These are some of Paul’s final instructions to the Corinthians. He sums up with these four things: Aim, Listen, Be, Live.
Aim for perfection: In other versions, perfection is translated strengthened, mature, or made what you ought to be. So we are aiming to grow and be all that God intends us.
Listen to my appeal: It’s not enough to simply aim for maturity. Paul gives good advice through these two letters to the Corinthians but it needs to be more than just words on a page. It’s as we take the Word of God and apply it to our lives that we will become spiritually mature.
Be of one mind: Also translated as, be agreeable. There was a sign hung in my home as I was growing up which said, “Why be disagreeable when with just a little effort you can be a real stinker!” Let’s make the effort to be agreeable. We don’t have to insist on our own way. We can compromise and know that in God this isn’t weakness or loss but maturity.
Live in peace: This is a choice we need to make, to live in peace and not be agitated by circumstances. Our circumstances may not be peaceful but we can choose to have peace in them by holding onto God’s peace.
Paul concludes his letter by urging us on to maturity. It has been said the real test of maturity is how well we get on with others. So let’s prove our maturity by aiming for perfection, listening to God’s Word, being agreeable, and living in peace.
Thanks for your comments on 2 Cor. 13:11. Very thoughtful. I would only add that being of one mind requires a community, and is not the work of an individual. For that reason (and perhaps ironically) it sometimes requires some very difficult and "disagreeable" work as the body comes to terms with its various parts. Nor can we expect unanimity in all cases. But doing the difficult work of community in honesty and love leads eventually to a healthier, more agreeable whole.
Thanks for your comments on 2 Cor. 13:11. Very thoughtful. I would only add that being of one mind requires a community, and is not the work of an individual. For that reason (and perhaps ironically) it sometimes requires some very difficult and "disagreeable" work as the body comes to terms with its various parts. Nor can we expect unanimity in all cases. But doing the difficult work of community in honesty and love leads eventually to a healthier, more agreeable whole.
Thanks Jim for your comments and I think you are right:
doing the difficult work of community in honesty and love leads eventually to a healthier, more agreeable whole
Thanks Jim for your comments and I think you are right:
doing the difficult work of community in honesty and love leads eventually to a healthier, more agreeable whole